NBA legend Rick Barry has a pretty strong opinion on the treatment Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark is receiving in the WNBA.
Clark has been on the receiving end of a number of flagrant fouls this 2024 season: five to be exact. Interestingly, of those fouls, four were committed by players from the Chicago Sky.
In two of the flagrant fouls committed by the Sky, Clark was hit from behind and ended up falling to the ground. Perhaps the most controversial one was the hit from Chennedy Carter, when she shoulder-checked the Fever rookie during a game earlier in the season.
Speaking about the hard fouls taken on Clark, Barry expressed his belief that those players who targeted the Fever All-Star should be punished severely.
“Anybody that does something flagrant to (Caitlin Clark) for what she’s brought to the game should be suspended and fined,” Barry exclaimed in an interview with The Players’ Club podcast.
Rick Barry: “Anybody that does something flagrant to [Caitlin Clark] for what she’s brought to the game should be suspended and fined.”
George Gervin: “They don’t know the value that she’s bringing for all of them. She’s helping every one of you.”
pic.twitter.com/K9tsSWmltf— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 13, 2024
Of course, that would be called special treatment. There are rules in the first place, and the WNBA cannot treat a player differently because of her impact on the league. At the end of the day, it affects the integrity of the game.
However, it’s easy to see where Barry is coming from. Considering the massive popularity the WNBA has enjoyed since the arrival of Caitlin Clark, it would make sense for the league to protect its most bankable superstar.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark
Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
To Barry’s point, though, the WNBA needs to do something to make sure players don’t purposely target others — not only Clark — just for the sake of hurting them. While basketball is a physical sport, more can be done in order to prevent players from crossing the line from physical play to violence.
